When should feedback be left?

[electrictroy]

I hear (waaaay too often) buyers saying "Sellers should leave feedback immediately after payment."



I agree in principle. However, I would add the word "verified". Sellers should leave feedback immediately after [verified] payment. i.e. After 45 days so I can confirm your payment is not from a stolen credit card, bounced check, or other dishonest means (fraudulent claims of "item not received" even though it has been).

And Buyers should leave feedback immediately after they test the item & verify it is working.

Your thoughts?

[shipwreck]

The only time feedback should be left is when both parties have their respective half of the deal. If you leave feedback before the buyer has the item, you are setting yourself up for potential problems. The trade/sale is not complete until both sides have their stuff.

This is assuming that both sides actually receive their half of the deal. Obviously if one side doesn't get what is due to them, feedback would have to be left.

[alonzomourning23]

There is often an assumption that the buyer has fulfilled their obligation when they paid, meaning the transaction is half done (done as far as the seller is concerned) and the seller should leave feedback.

That is true if everything was perfect, but sellers should deal with reality. You have buyers who do chargebacks, complain that a corner of a magazine has a small ding in it (and therefore cannot possibly be new, meaning you are a fraud for selling it as new), or go off on you for terms they agreed to (check my "why I hate ebay buyers" thread to see what I mean). Due to the ability for a buyer to extend the transaction beyond simply purchasing and recieving, any seller with conern for their reputation cannot, without serious risk to themselves, consider the transaction done on the buyers end when they recieve payment.

I do honestly believe that some buyers would have left me negative if I had already left them feedback. For example, one buyer didn't recieve an item after 5 days and (rudely) asked for a tracking number, saying he didn't think I shipped it. I told him I purchased one but lost it (in my listing it says the buyer must add 45 cents if they want it, but I purchase it regardless). The guy then went on a rant about how he worked for ebay, said he would have my status revoked, called my a thief, and filed a chargeback with paypal. I actually found the slip one day before the period I had to give paypal the info was up. I found out that the buyer recieved the package the day after filing the chargeback, and just left it up there in hopes of getting it for free. I am sure with the chargeback and everything else a neg would have been thrown in if he wasn't afraid of retaliation.

I had another guy who it took 2 weeks for him to get a package. He kept insisting I leave him feedback and I kept responding that, due to past incidents where buyers unjustly left negs or buyers getting positives then filing chargebacks, that I no long leave feedback before the buyer. This went back and forth for days, him getting angrier each time. Finally he grudgingly left a positive.

[electrictroy]

I found with DC that the buyer recieved the package the day after filing the chargeback, and just left it up there in hopes of getting it for free. What did the Buyer say after you produced the DC number & showed him to be lying?

[shipwreck]

What did the Buyer say after you produced the DC number & showed him to be lying?

He said "Aren't you glad you didn't give me positive feedback based on payment alone."

[alonzomourning23]

What did the Buyer say after you produced the DC number & showed him to be lying?

Nothing, I didn't contact him after that since I didn't want to antagonize him into giving a neg.

[wubb]

eBay feedback is optional. That means there is no time when one is required or compelled to leave it at all. Simple as that.

Personally I don't leave FB first as a seller and don't worry about the portion of buyers that choose not to leave it first for me. A good portion of my buyers do leave FB, probably because I ship within 24 hours of payment, include a thank you note, and e-mail a ship confirmation with tracking number. (Actually PayPal shipping e-mails the DC # automatically.)

As a seller I'm more than satisfied with just being paid. Feedback is nice, but I don't lose any sleep over it.

[YoshiFan1]

I leave feedback as a seller when either feedback is left more me first or when the buyer lets me know they got the item and is satisified with the transaction.

As a buyer I leave feedback once I receive the item and it is the correct condition it was described as, for example, I bought an XBox game from someone that was said to be new but when I got it, it wasn't shrinkwrapped. It was only a $10 game so I didn't leave any feedback or complain but had it been more expensive I would have complained)

[$hady]

Buyer always leaves feedback first doesn't matter if i am the buyer or seller this is how I do it.

[Zaku-II]

I leave it when I got my side of the deal, but I wait till they get the item if their feedback is under 20.

[Murcielago77]

Buyer always leaves feedback first doesn't matter if i am the buyer or seller this is how I do it.

thats how i do it as well

[SOSTrooper]

Buyer always leaves feedback first doesn't matter if i am the buyer or seller this is how I do it.

Yup same here.

[Zing]

Buyer always leaves feedback first doesn't matter if i am the buyer or seller this is how I do it.
Anything less would be uncivilized.

[electrictroy]

What if 60 days have passed & the buyer still has not left feedback? Do you still wait? I don't. I figure if a buyer deserves a positive, I'll give him one.

Then I'll send a friendly email telling them I left a positive, please return the favor, and thank you for their business.

[$hady]

What if 60 days have passed & the buyer still has not left feedback? Do you still wait? I don't. I figure if a buyer deserves a positive, I'll give him one.

Then I'll send a friendly email telling them I left a positive, please return the favor, and thank you for their business.


Back in the day I would use the contact buyer thing or email them and include a link to the auction and ask them to please leave feedback and i'd do the same for them. Now my feedback is high and I could care less if they leave it or not. Yea it's always nice to do but it's voluntary and some people are just lazy. I never leave feedback first as a seller.

[dothog]

eBay feedback is optional. That means there is no time when one is required or compelled to leave it at all. Simple as that.

Personally I don't leave FB first as a seller and don't worry about the portion of buyers that choose not to leave it first for me. A good portion of my buyers do leave FB, probably because I ship within 24 hours of payment, include a thank you note, and e-mail a ship confirmation with tracking number. (Actually PayPal shipping e-mails the DC # automatically.)

As a seller I'm more than satisfied with just being paid. Feedback is nice, but I don't lose any sleep over it.
Never thought of it this way. I used to leave feedback right away--as soon as buyer made payment--but not anymore. You're right: so long as I take care of things on my end as a seller, feedback shouldn't be an issue.

[electrictroy]

I'm amazed there are no Buyers here demanding "Leave me feedback immediately!"

Kinda dull.